EOR - Made in Germany - Based in Berlin
Employer of Record (EOR)
Hire employees in Germany compliantly – onboarding within 24 hours. As your Employer of Record with a legal entity in Germany, we take care of employment contracts, payroll, and all labor-law related matters.
✔︎ Based in Berlin, Germany
✔︎ In-house labor law expertise
✔︎ Licensed by the Federal Employment Agency (AÜG)
Individual Contracts
Within 24 hours. Legally vetted by our Berlin experts. No generic templates.
Fair Pricing
599€ Monthly EoR Fee. Fully transparent with zero hidden costs.
German DNA
Specialized EOR services, tailored for the local German market.
AUG Licensed
Fully authorized for labor leasing in Germany. 100% legal compliance guaranteed.
Sustainability
EcoVadis Gold rated for ethical business and social responsibility.
Why hiring in Germany is Complex and how an EOR Solves it
Germany has one of the most regulated employment systems in the world — creating legal, financial, and operational complexity for foreign companies.
You lead the team. We handle the rest.
Employing in Germany means navigating strict labor laws, complex payroll rules, and close coordination with public authorities. As your Employer of Record, we ensure full end-to-end compliance – so you don’t have to. All services are delivered by our in-house teams in Germany — with clear ownership and a dedicated point of contact.
You manage the employee
You retain full operational control over the employee's daily work. This includes assigning tasks, setting priorities, and defining all strategic goals.
- Team Management: Performance management and complete integration of the employee into your team.
- Decision-making Authority: You make all business decisions regarding the employee's workflow.
We handle Employment & Compliance
worknow acts as a licensed legal employer in Germany and assumes full employer responsibility for all administrative tasks.
- Entire Process: We take care of employment contracts under German law, onboarding, offboarding, and terminations.
- Finance & Security: Management of payroll, wage payments, taxes, social security contributions, and statutory benefits.
What others say about us.
Experiences from clients and talents who trust worknow every day.
The team at worknow onboarded 20 employees in just two days, providing a fast and reliable EOR solution. They handled numerous changes, including several mini-jobs, quickly, flexibly, and without additional fees.
Partnering with worknow made it possible for us to onboard our employee in Germany within just a few days. The entire process was fast, straightforward and well coordinated, and we always received quick and helpful answers.
The worknow team guided us through a complex contractual situation with clarity and professionalism. We particularly appreciated the quick responses, the practical approach and the consistently friendly and personal communication.
Starting a job through an Employer of Record was completely new to me. At worknow, I received quick, personal answers to all my questions. My salary was always paid reliably on time, and I felt genuinely well looked after throughout the entire process.
Local expertise. Personal support. Real German compliance.
Unlike global one-size-fits-all platforms, we provide hands-on Employer of Record services built specifically for Germany — with local experts, tailored contracts, and one dedicated point of contact.
Tailored Setup & Smooth Onboarding
From compliant contracts to first payroll, we guide every step of the hiring process and adapt each setup to your needs.
One Dedicated Contact
Both employer and employee work with one named contact person who understands the full setup.
A Trusted Local Employer
Your employees join through a real local employer in Germany with personal support and clear accountability.
What does it really cost to hire in Germany?
Your total monthly cost, in seconds.
What is behind the 25 %? Statutory employer costs in Germany for this employment type – and why we bill a fixed rate. 25 % fixed
Why a fixed rate?
Actual employer contributions in Germany vary by health insurance fund, sick-pay reimbursement scheme and accident insurance association – and they change every year. Instead of estimating, reconciling and sending you cost statements, worknow bills a fixed rate of the gross salary. You get one predictable number; we carry the fluctuation.
Statutory employer contributions 2026, shown for orientation. Statutory contributions are capped at the contribution ceilings (€5,812.50 health/care, €8,450 pension/unemployment per month); worknow's fixed rate applies to the full gross salary and includes the contribution and payroll risk.
From offer to employment in Germany
We guide you through each step of the process — from defining your hire to onboarding — with dedicated support from our German employment experts.
Define your hire
You share the key details of your planned hire in Germany. We assess the setup and confirm legal feasibility.
Legal setup & contracts
We establish the employment structure and prepare all contracts in full compliance with German law.
Onboarding & employment
Your employee is onboarded through worknow. We handle payroll, taxes, and compliance while you manage daily work.
Your EOR proposal
A few details about your company and the planned hire — we generate a tailored proposal with the full cost outline for employment in Germany.
To comply with data privacy regulations, please do not upload identity documents here. After generating the quote you will be asked to send the residence title or work permit via secure email to info@w-now.de.
Info on visas & sponsorship →Full Support for German Contract Types 2026
How EOR compares to other hiring options in Germany
Companies hiring in Germany typically compare several options before deciding how to employ their first team members. An Employer of Record (EOR) is often the fastest and lowest-risk setup — but depending on your goals, alternatives such as opening a GmbH, hiring contractors, or using payroll-only support may also be considered.
Not sure which setup fits your Germany hiring plans?
We can help you assess whether an EOR, a GmbH, or another setup is the right fit for your team, hiring timeline, and growth plans.
How worknow compares to global EOR platforms
Let´s talk
Get in touch to discuss your EOR setup in Germany.
FAQs
- We handle all statutory obligations — from contracts and payslips to social security, benefits, and tax filings — so you can focus on your business.
- Our EOR Service Fee is standard at 599 Euro plus 199 Euro for On- and 199 Euro for Offboarding.
- Employer contributions are billed at a fixed rate of the gross salary – 25 % for full- and part-time employees, 15 % for working students and 33 % for mini-jobs. No estimates, no retroactive adjustments, no separate cost statements.
- We provide a clear, all-inclusive monthly fee that covers everything required for compliant employment in Germany.
- The monthly service fee covers all employment administration, payroll, statutory filings, benefits coordination, and local compliance.
- Fees only apply while the employee is actively employed under worknow's EOR arrangement.
- Payments for gross salaries and employment costs are due by the 15th of each month, with salary disbursement on the third-last German banking day.
- A deposit equal to 1.5 months' gross salary plus employer contributions at the fixed rate is required per employee before onboarding and is offset against the final payroll at the end of the employment.
- Pension insurance (9.3 %) – statutory retirement fund
- Health insurance (7.3 % plus half of the fund’s supplementary rate, typically 8.0–9.4 % in total) – statutory health insurance
- Long-term care insurance (1.8 %) – nursing and care contribution
- Unemployment insurance (1.3 %) – unemployment protection
- U1 (1.0–4.0 %, depending on the chosen reimbursement scheme) – reimbursement for continued pay during sickness
- U2 (approx. 0.4 %) – reimbursement for maternity leave
- U3 (0.15 %) – insolvency levy
- Statutory accident insurance (approx. 1–2 %, depending on the industry)
- Germany observes 9 to 13 public holidays, depending on the federal state in which the employee is based. For example, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have more public holidays than Berlin or Hamburg.
- In case of illness, employees in Germany continue to receive their full salary for up to six weeks, as required by German law.
- Statutory reimbursement mechanisms apply, ensuring predictable employer costs.
Overall, German labor law provides a high level of employee protection. worknow ensures that all employment conditions are implemented correctly and in full compliance from day one.
- Discretionary Nature: Any rewards or incentives are treated as purely discretionary payments initiated by the client. They are not part of the core contractual salary.
- Processing Model: worknow acts solely as the processing agent. A payout is made only if the client requests it and provides the funds in advance.
- Budgeting for Ancillary Costs: The total cost for a bonus is the gross amount plus employer contributions at the fixed rate (25 % / 15 % / 33 % depending on the employment type) and a processing fee of €599 per one-off payment.
- Execution only upon Funding: The payment is processed with the next available payroll once the full amount, including employer contributions and the processing fee, has been received.
You send us a short email outlining your hiring plans in Germany, including who you want to hire, for which role, the intended start date, the planned salary and the expected duration of employment.
Based on this information, worknow reviews feasibility and, in most cases, completes the entire setup within 3–5 business days. Where required, we are also able to progress steps over weekends to meet tight timelines. Throughout the process, you are supported by a dedicated contact to ensure a compliant, transparent and straightforward setup.
The all-in-one solution for Germany.
Fully AUG licensed Employer of Record & HR Service Provider.
